Improvement in apparatus for removing and collecting bugs from vines



. G. W. WO' OD & 04H. SMITH. Apparatus for Removing and Collecting Bugsfrom Vines.

No. 214,478. Patented April 15, 1839.

I I 1 I a 'll F d f 6 .WITNES INVENTOR:

Q A'.'I".I'()RI TEYSr N. PEIERs, PHOTQ-LIYHOGRAPHER. WASHINGTON. D. C.

UNITED STATES- PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE W. WOOD AND CHARLES H. SMITH, OF FARIBAULT, MINNESOTA.

IMPROVEMENT IN APPARATUS FOR REMOVING AND COLLECTING BUGS FROM VINES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 214,478, dated April15, 1879 application filed September 16, 1878.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, GEORGE W. W001) and CHARLES H. SMITH, of Faribault,in the county of Rice and State of Minnesota, have invented a new andImproved Trap for P0- tato-Bugs, of which the following is aspecification.

The object of our invention is to furnish an apparatus for riddingpotato-vines of the Colorado beetle or potato-bug, by removing them fromthe vines and gathering them into a receptacle.

Ourinvention consists in an apparatus mounted. on wheels which is drawnbetween the rows of plants, and by suitably-shaped wings gathers theplants into a bunch and shakes them, thereby shaking 0T1 the beetlesinto a receptacle, from which they cannot escape. The parts of theapparatus are adjustable to suit the height of the plants.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a plan of our apparatus. Fig.2 is a longitudinal section at the line w 00. Fig. 3 is a cross-sectionat the line 3 y.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts.

a a are vertical standards, connected together by a cross-bar, b, attheir upper ends. 0 c are wheels mounted on short axles fitted in theboxes 01 at the lower ends of standards a.

The standards a are at such a distance apart that the wheels 0 will runbetween the rows of plants and two rows of plants be between the wheels.

The cross-bar b is made in two pieces, as shown, connected together byscrews, so that i the bar can be adjusted according to the width of therows.

c e are wings, one at each side of the apparatus. The forward endsof thewings are attached to the standards a, and their rear ends are connectedtogether at the center line of the machine. These wings e are ofsuitable width, and they are attached with their edges vertical at theforward end, and are twisted so as to lie flat where they are connectedtogether at the rear end.

f is a pan-shaped receptacle, attached by arms g to a bar, k, that issuspended from bar b, midway between the wheels 0. z is a vertical rodrising from the rear end of the receptacle f, and passing through a holein the ends of wings c.

The upper end of rod 2' is provided with a handle, k, by which the rearend oil the machine may be manipulated.

There are holes in rod i, into which pins 1 I may be inserted to retainthe rear ends of the wings e at the desired height, according to thegrowth of the plants. 7

The strips m, that form the sides of the receptacle f, are pivoted bypins n at one end, so that the receptacle can be made wider or thereverse, according to the width of the rows;

At the inner side of the wings c, and projecting over the receptacle f,are fiappers 0 o, hinged at 19. Each of these flapper-s 0 has a rod, q,passing through the win g, that the flapper is hinged to, and connectedwith a cranklever, r, hung atthe outside of the wing.

s is a lever, fulcrumed at the forward end of the wing in such positionthat one end of the lever s is acted upon by the teeth t, attached tothe inner side of wheel 0. The other end of lever s is connected by astrap, 21-, that passes beneath a roller, 12, to a rod, 10, that isattached to crank-lever r.

y is a spring connected to lever r and to the wing e.

The teeth t depress the lever s, and draw upon the crank-lever r andspring y, and draw the flapper outward; but as soon as the lever sclears the tooth the flapper springs out quickly. The arrangement is thesame on both fiappers 0, and by that means a series of rapid blows aregiven upon vines gathered by the wings.

A horse is to be attached to the whiflletree a, that is hung on the barh. The horse will walk between the two rows of plants that are to beoperated upon by the apparatus, and the receptacle f will run on theground between the rows. k

As the apparatus is drawn forward the plants pass beneath the bar I),one row at each side of the bar it and pan f, and the rows will begathered together and bent down beneath the wings e. The flappers 0 willshake the plants, and the beetles will be rubbed and shaken oil into thereceptacle f.

2 erm ne We provide a projecting rim, Z), of metal, around the edges ofthe receptacle f, which prevents the bugs from getting out of thereceptacle.

By the use of the above-described apparatus potato-vines may be quicklyand effectually cleared of beetles or other insects without injury tothe plants.

Having described our invention, we claim as new and desire to secure byLetters Patent The combination, with a wheeled vehicle, of

the twisted wings a 6, provided with vertical forward ends attached tostandards a and flat rear ends connected together, the suspendedintermediate subjacent pan f, and the hinged flappers 0, projecting overthe receptacle, as and for the purpose specified.

GEORGE WESTON WOOD. CHARLES HORACE SMITH.

' Witnesses:

FRANK A. DAVIs, P. CUDMORE.

